Question

What is pig iron and how is it converted into steel ?

Answer 1

• Pig iron is the most impure form of iron, containing about 25-5% of carbon along with impurities such as Sulphur, silicon, phosphorous, manganese etc. It is very hard, brittle and corrosion-resistant.
• Conversion of pig iron into steel:

1. The pig iron is converted to steel using the Bessemer process and basic oxygen furnace.
2. The process involves removing of carbon from the iron.
3. Then it produces a lighter, more flexible and rust-resistant metal called steel. Iron is the main component of steel.

$$\begin{gathered} \mathrm{C}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+{\mathrm{CO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)\to 2\mathrm{CO}\left(\mathrm{g}\right) \\ {\mathrm{Fe}}_3{\mathrm{O}}_4\left(\mathrm{l}\right)+4\mathrm{CO}\left(\mathrm{g}\right)\to 3\mathrm{Fe}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)+4{\mathrm{CO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right) \end{gathered}$$